How To Adjust Soil PH

Question From: Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States
Q: I have put 3- 6# Soil Acidifier on my garden. Separating them by three months. I took soil samples of these three soil acidifiers and only have a final sample of 7.1. My starting soil samples were 7.8. What am I doing wrong. I only have a garden comprising of 100 Sq. Ft.

A: It's very difficult to lower the pH of soil and it takes a long time. Acidifiers should be added in fall to give them time to break down. Timing may be different in Florida, so I would contact your county extension for advice. Most plants will do well in soil with a pH of 7.5. An exception would be blueberries and they can be grown in containers. Your 7.1 is very close to neutral and should be fine for growing tomatoes. Adding compost will help the plants adapt. For more discussion go to pH Adjusting Soil Amendments at Yardener.com. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy